Grammar
Phonology
Morphology
Syntax
Semantics
Other branches of linguistics


Pragmatics Anthropological linguistics Psycholinguistics Sociolinguistics Neurolinguistics Applied linguistics Computational linguistics
Discreteness



Discreteness is the property of language which enables the speakers of a language to identify the sound elements in its words. Each sound is discrete and distinct and thus can be combined together to make different forms. It is the structural feature of language that words are made up of elemental sounds
Cultural transmission


Cultural transmission is the property of language which requires us human to learn a language. Human beings were born with the ability to acquire language. The details of any language are not genetically transmitted or passed down by instinct. They have to be taught and learned, but animal call systems are genetically transmitted .
1.1 Definition of language


In the Textbook Language is a means of verbal communication. It is instrumental in that communicating by speaking or writing is a purposeful act. It is social and conventional in that language is a social semiotic and communication can only take place effectively if all the users share a broad understanding of human interaction including such associated factors as nonverbal cures, motivation, and social-cultural roles Language: Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.
Chapter 1 Language and Liห้องสมุดไป่ตู้guistics

1.1 Language and Human 1.2 Design features of language 1.3 Functions of Language 1.4 Linguistics and its branches 1.5 Basic Concepts in linguistics
Do you think human language is entirely arbitrary? Why?

Language is arbitrary in nature, it is not entirely arbitrary, because there are a limited number of words whose connections between forms and meanings can be logically explained to a certain extent, for example, the onomatopoeia, words which are coined on the basis of imitation of sounds by sounds such as bang, crash,etc.. Take compounds for another example. The two elements ―photo‖ and ―copy‖ in ―photocopy‖ are non-motivated, but the compound is not arbitrary.
1.2 Design features of language




Design features: Design features refer to the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication. Arbitrariness/ Productivity/ Duality/ Displacement/ Cultural transmission
Productivity



Productivity refers to the property of language which enables language to generate new utterances by its users. The property of language enables us to express our unlimited and new ideas. Productivity is unique to human language. Most animal communication systems appear to be highly restricted with respect to the number of different signals that their users can send and receive.
Duality




Duality is the nature of language which shows that language is a system and consists of two sets of structure, or two levels, one of sounds and the other of meanings. At the lower or the basic level, there is the structure of sounds, which are meaningless, discrete, individual sounds. But the sounds of language can be combined according to rules into units of meaning such as morphemes and words, which, at the higher level, can be arranged into sentences. This duality of structure or double articulation of language enables its users to talk about anything within their knowledge. No animal communication system has duality or even comes near to possessing it.
Contents


Chapter 1 Language and Linguistics Chapter 2 Speech Sounds: phonetics and Phonology Chapter 3 Words and Morphology Chapter 4 Sentences: Syntax Chapter 5 Meaning: Semantics Chapter 6 Meaning in use: Pragmatics Chapter 7 Language, Culture and Thought Chapter 8 Language Acquisition and Learning Chapter 9 Schools of linguistics
1.4 Linguistics and its branches




Basic branches of linguistics Phonetics: speech sounds Phonology: rules in speech sounds Morphology: words and their formation Syntax: rules of sentences Semantics: meaning
Displacement



Displacement means that language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined matters in the past, present, or future, or in far-away places. In other words, language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situations of the speaker Animal calls are mainly uttered in response to immediate changes of situation.